Chinese word

亲爱

Pronunciation

Pinyinqīn ài

Meaning

  • adjectivedear

Example

亲爱的朋友写了信给我。qīn ài de péng yǒu xiě le xìn gěi wǒ

A dear friend wrote me a letter.

Illustration for 亲爱 (dear)

More examples

信的开头写着：'亲爱的朋友，你好吗？'xìn de kāi tóu xiě zhe qīn ài de péng yǒu ní hǎo ma

The letter began, "Dear friend, how are you?"

Core concept

Affectionate closeness reserved for people who hold a special place in the heart.

Common phrases

  • 亲爱的朋友qīn ài de péng yǒu

    dear friend

  • 亲爱的妈妈qīn ài de mā mā

    dear mother

  • 亲爱的同学qīn ài de tóng xué

    dear classmate

Similar words

亲近qīn jìn: Describing people who feel emotionally close and can interact with ease.
亲密qīn mì: Describing a close relationship marked by strong familiarity, trust, and affection.
亲切qīn qiè: Showing kindness and thoughtfulness through gentle, polite words or actions.

Definition in Chinese

表示对某人有深厚的好感和亲近感，常用于家人、恋人或密友的称呼或描述。biǎo shì duì mǒu rén yǒu shēn hòu de háo gǎn hé qīn jìn gǎn cháng yòng yú jiā rén liàn rén huò mì yǒu de chēng hū huò miáo shù

Word origin

The word 亲爱 (qīnài, "dear") is formed from 亲 (qīn, "close") + 爱 (ài, "love"), making its sense of cherished intimacy transparent.

Usage tips

  • The form 亲爱的 (qīn'ài de, "dear") often appears at the beginning of personal letters and messages, where it sounds warm rather than unusually formal.

Opposites

Word lists with this word